When India took their rivalry against Germany to a new level in Berlin Olympics

Back in 1936, the Indian hockey team won the gold medal in the Berlin Olympics. Led by the legendary Major Dhyan Chand, India finished on top of the podium after beating Germany 8-1 in the final. It was the only medal India won in the entire quadrennial event. But India’s rivalry with the hosts started from the beginning of the Olympics when they refused to salute Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony.

Later, in the book ‘Olympic History: The India Story’, Naseeruddin Masood, one of the members of the winning team, narrated the developments of the opening ceremony. In the book, he revealed that along with India, the United States of America (USA) also refused to salute Hitler.

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India’s performance in Berlin Olympics

India were not the favorites to win the gold, but showed a lot of grit and determination throughout. India started their campaign in the best possible manner after beating Japan 9-0. Thereafter, they thumped Hungary 4-0 followed by their crushing 7-0 win over the United States.

India carried their form into the semi-final where they hammered France 10-0. Despite qualifying for the final, the odds were stacked against India given the rise of Germany over the years. However, India did not stop in the final and decimated the hosts easily.

After their win, India also completed their hat-trick of gold medals at the Olympics. India were dominant in Berlin to the extent that they smashed 38 goals in five matches. Skipper Dhyan Chand led the Indian team from the front as he scored the most (14) goals in the tournament.

He was also reported to have played barefoot in the second half of the final after getting medical attention. It also happened to be Chand’s last and final appearance in the Olympics.

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